Extra Services

Senior Officials Canít Kick Habit

Date Posted: 2000-05-05

Okinawa Prefectural Hall has been a non-smoking facility since April 1998. However, workers there seem to have great difficulties kicking the habit, and smoke continues to billow in the meeting rooms and offices unabated.

Critics say that senior managers seems to be those who have the greatest trouble keeping the rule. As a result, tensions have reportedly risen between those who do not smoke and those who do. The only designated smoking areas in the huge building are the first floor lobby and another area on the 14th floor.

Non-smokers are demanding that smokers abide by the rules. The prefecture is spending •2.89 million this year to improve ventilation in the building, but officials still have to come up with means to install individual filters for those older managers.